Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Gu. two flaunches indented ar. a bordure vert be-”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dollar family of Scotland.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Gu. two flaunches indented ar. a bordure vert be-”
The Dollar arms were recorded in Scotland, c. 1748.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh was the seat of Scotland's government, its courts and its heralds. Families with business there settled nearby, and being close to where arms were recorded is exactly why so many of them appear.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
Scottish heraldry is unique because it treats a coat of arms as a piece of personal property protected by law. Only one person can own a specific design at any given time. When a family grows, the head keeps the original shield while other relatives must apply for their own distinct version with slight changes to prove their specific identity.
The surname Dollar is primarily linked to the town of Dollar in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, where the name likely originated as a locational identifier for people moving from that area to other parts of the country. By the mid-eighteenth century, records confirm that the family had established a presence in Edinburgh, a city that served as a major hub for trade and professional growth during the Scottish Enlightenment. During this period, individuals bearing the name were often involved in the city’s expanding urban economy, working as skilled tradespeople or merchants. Because the name is tied to a specific geographic location, it suggests that early ancestors were likely part of the internal migration patterns that brought rural Scots into the capital to seek new opportunities. This transition from a small town to the bustling environment of Edinburgh reflects the broader social changes occurring in Scotland as families sought to improve their status and livelihoods in the growing city.
A Gaelic term referring to a valley or a meadow.
